Femoral transverse torque: an assessment method.

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Orthopedics
• Sports Medicine

Background:

• Understanding hip joint muscle strength is crucial for assessing function and injury risk.
• Previous research has explored differences in limb strength between sexes, but hip-specific rotational torque comparisons require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare external and internal femoral torques between asymptomatic male and female subjects.
• To investigate potential sex-based differences in hip rotational strength.
• To establish criterion measures for assessing hip joint transverse muscle imbalance.

Main Methods:

• Asymptomatic male and female subjects were tested using the Cybex II isokinetic dynamometer.
• Testing involved a prone position with the hip in neutral alignment.
• Peak torque values for external and internal femoral rotation were recorded.

Main Results:

• Males exhibited significantly higher raw peak torques than females for both external and internal rotation.
• When normalized to body weight, no significant sex-based differences in peak torque were observed.
• External rotation torques were significantly higher than internal rotation torques across all subjects.

Conclusions:

• Body weight normalization is essential when comparing hip rotational strength between sexes.
• The established external to internal rotation torque ratios (1.08 for males, 1.16 for females) can serve as benchmarks for evaluating hip muscle balance.